Behavior
Harmless to humans, these lizards are known to run from potential threats. When disturbed, the Chuckwalla will gulp air, distend its body and wedge itself into a tight rock crevice. The Chuckwalla will inflate its body with air in order to entrench itself.
Males are seasonally and conditionally territorial; an abundance of resources tends to create a hierarchy based on size, with one large male dominating the area's smaller males. Chuckwallas use a combination of colour and physical displays, namely "push ups", head-hobbing, and gaping of the mouth to communicate and defend their territory (see animal communication).
Chuckwallas are diurnal animals and as they are exothermic, spend much of their mornings and winter days basking. These lizards are well adapted to desert conditions; they are active at temperatures of up to 102°F (39°C). Chuckwallas brumate during cooler months and emerge in February.
Mating occurs from April to July, with 5-16 eggs laid between June and August. The eggs hatch in late September.
Read more about this topic: Sauromalus Ater
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“Children can’t make their own rules and no child is happy without them. The great need of the young is for authority that protects them against the consequences of their own primitive passions and their lack of experience, that provides with guides for everyday behavior and that builds some solid ground they can stand on for the future.”
—Leontine Young (20th century)
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—Elaine Heffner (20th century)